Car-signal



(No Model.)

G. H.- 003mm 0A3 SIGNAL. I No. 290.540. P jented Dec. 18, 1883.

I 7. m: Z1227:

STATES ihsrre .CAR-Sl GNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part oi Letters Patent No. 290,540, dated December18, 1883.

Application filed June To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. CORMACK, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Rockford, in the county of \Vinnebago and Stateof Illinois, have invented a new and useful Signal for Railroad-Cars, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signal-lights employed on cars in movingrailroad-trains; and its object is to provide a signal-light for movingtrains of a character to determine whether or not the train of cars isin motion, and by which to approximately determine the velocity of themoving train; and it consists in a movable cat-oil operated by themovement of the train, to vibrate or pass in front or rear of the light,or both in front and rear thereof. I attain these objects by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is an end elevation of a carwith my improved signal in place thereon.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an end portion of a car, showing myimprovements in place thereon; and Fig. 3 is an isometricalrepresentation of a cutofl' designed to operate on both sides of thesigrial-light.

In the figures, A. represents the end, and B a portion of the side, of acar-body mounted upon a suitable truck-frame, 0, supported ontruck-wheels D, fixed on the axle-tree E to revolve therewith, all ofwhich are substantially the same as cars new in general use onrailroads.

At c is represented a signal-light, such as is in common use on cars,and is supported ona bracket, 2), fixed to the car, a convenientposition being on the side of the car near the end thereof.

At 0 is represented a cutoff lever, having its fulcrumsupport at d, onthe same horizontal plane with the signallight, in such position thereonthat its free end will extend past the light, and of such width as tofully cover the light when over its center. The inner end of this cut-ohlever has a pivotal joint connection at c with a connecting rod or link,h. The lower end of the connectingrod h is pivot-jointed to the forwardend of the horizontal arm '5 of the bell-crank lever k, which isprovided at its angle-point with a fulcrum-support, m, on which itoscillates. The vertical or depending 4,1883. (N0 model.)

arm n of this bell-crank lever is produced in yoke form, as at 0, toembrace an eccentric, p, fixed upon the axle-tree E- of thewheeledtruck. This eccentric in this instance is produced in two parts,provided with radial flanges p,to receive clamping screw-bolts, to fir;it in place on the axle-tree. From the foregoing it will be seen thatwhen the train or car is in motion thebell-crauk, by means of itsconnection with the eccentric on the axletree of the truck,will be madeto oscillate on its fulcrum-support, as indicated by the dottedlines,which motren will be transmitted through the connections, causingthe pivoted lever cut-off to vibrate in front of the light twice in eachrevolution of the truck axle-tree.

At the left-hand side of Fig. 1, I have represented the cut-off lever H,having its fulcrumsupport I on a horizontal plane at or about the upperside of the signal-light in such position that in its vibrations thecut-off shall descend to cover the light, as shown in the dotted lines,and in its upward movements shall rise above the light to the positionin the solid lines. In this application of the cut-off it will be seenthat the cutoff shades the light but once in each revolution of thetruck axle-tree, and consequently the alternate intervals of light andshade are less frequent and of greater duration than in the precedingexample hereinbefore described ,and shown on the right-hand side of thefigure.

At Fig. 3 I have represented a form of cutoff lever provided with adouble cut-on? blade, N and I, suitably separated to receive thesignal-light between them, and in its vibrations to pass on both sidesof the light,which will render it an efficientfront and rear cut-off.From the foregoing it will be seen that when the train or car is atrest, this cut-oft will also be at rest, and when the train is in motionit will impart motion to the cut-off, and the velocity of the vibrationsof the cut-offwill indicate the velocity at which the train is moving.

In the dotted lines It is represented a barlever having a pivotalconnection with the truck-frame, from which point it extends forward,having its yoke portion embrace the cc centric, and its forward endconnects with the depending end portion, 8, of the connecting.

IOO

rod shown in dotted lines. In some instances this form of lever may bepreferred to the bellcrank lever hereinbefore described.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide a signal-light with acut-off lever operated by the movement of the train, to intermittentlyintercept the rays of light; hence I make no broad claim to such adevice; but

I claim as my invention 1. The'combination,with an eccentric mountedupon the aXle-tree of the wheeled truck, and with a pivoted levercut-off, of a pivoted lever having a yoke-connection with the eccentric,and a rod or link connecting the yokethe rays of light; an eccentricmounted upon the axle of the wheeled truck, and mechanism operated bysaid eccentric to automatically vibrate said pivoted cut-off lever,substantially as set forth.

GEORGE H. CORMAOK.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. GooDWIN, A. O. BEHEL.

